Lustmord - Biography
Lustmord, the solo project of Welsh artist Brian Williams, is often classified in its own subgenre, “dark ambient.” Williams began performing in London’s industrial scene in 1980, where the members of Throbbing Gristle encouraged his early efforts. Lustmord’s first release was A Document (a/k/a Lustmørd, 1981 Sterile Records), released by the label of Nocturnal Emissions’ Nigel Ayers. Williams joined the pioneering industrial noise band SPK, appearing on their apocalyptic Leichenschrei album (1982 Thermidor), recorded in 1981, and touring the United States with them in 1982. Graeme Revell transformed SPK from a transgressive industrial noise collective into a pop dance outfit over the following years, and Williams took over SPK’s Side Effects label in 1985, around the time Lustmord collaborated with Chris & Cosey, who had been half of Throbbing Gristle, on Conspiracy International Two (1985 CTI).
Paradise Disowned (1986 Side Effects), Lustmord’s second album, was recorded over the winter of 1983-1984 in various macabre locations, including the crypt of Chartres Cathedral, a cave, an abbatoir, and “the site of Bedlam.” Roy Batty played chainsaw and “masonry,” John Murphy played gong and “machinery,” and “Dr. N. Newby-Carter” contributed deep-sea recordings. Chris Carter of Chris & Cosey produced Heresy (1990 Soleilmoon), which comprised Lustmord’s recordings in “crypts, caverns, mines, deep shelters and catacombs” from 1987 to 1989, as well as, the sleeve notes mysteriously continued, “material of seismic and volcanic origin.” A document of early acoustic and tactical experimentation by Lustmord (1991 Dark Vinyl) collected recordings from 1980 to 1982, some of which featured the late Geoff Rushton, a/k/a Jhonn Balance of Coil. In 1993, Williams moved to the United States, where he collaborated with Graeme Revell on the score to The Crow (1994). From his home in Los Angeles, Williams has continued to work in film as a music and sound designer and continued recording as Lustmord.
Williams began to use digital effects in place of location acoustics on Lustmord’s 90s material, which mainly consisted of three albums on Side Effects: The Monstrous Soul (1992), The Place Where The Black Stars Hang (1994) and Lustmord Vs. Metal Beast (1997). After running Side Effects for 13 years, Williams shut the label down in 1998, though Lustmord soldiered on with Metavoid (2001 Nextera) and Carbon/Core (2004 Happy Pencil). Lustmord collaborated with fellow immigrants to Los Angeles, the Melvins, on Pigs Of The Roman Empire (2004 Ipecac), and Buzz Osborne of the Melvins contributed to Lustmord’s Juggernaut (2007 Hydra Head). Lustmord performed live for the first time in 25 years at the Church of Satan’s June 6, 2006 (or 6/6/06) mass in Los Angeles; Lustmord’s contribution to the proccedings was captured on Lustmord Rising (2006 Vaultworks). The album [Other] (2008 Hydra Head) was followed by [The Dark Places of the Earth] (2009 Vaultworks), remixes of [Other] material.